HOLYOKE PUBLIC SC HOOLS

Volume 15 Issue 1

An Open Letter to the Holyoke School Community HHS Student Artist G. Beaudry By Dr. Stehen Zrike, Superintendent/Receiver

Exciting changes in our schools Holyoke Families, Partners, and Colleagues,

The start of the 2016-17 school year has brought a great deal of exciting change for students and staff in the Holyoke Public Schools. Our elementary schools have worked hard to implement a longer, fuller day for our students that includes more enrichment and academic time for children and additional planning and professional learning time for staff. The enrichment block across our schools is an opportunity for stu- Inside this issue: dents to explore their interests and develop their social emotional skills. Some schools are providing op- portunities such as video game design, cartooning, yearbook, yoga, sewing, Spanish, and band. Other Announcements 2 schools, are partnering with local organizations to offer activities like swimming, theater, outdoor adven- ture and hip-hop dance. These offerings have been possible through innovative planning and scheduling by the staff at our schools. Not surprisingly, many students cite enrichment as the highlight of their school District News 3 week! School News 4-11

At the high school level, we have launched our freshmen academy at , a more nurtur- Athletics 12 ing and student centered experience. As part of the academy, 9th graders have the option of attending Dean Technical High School to explore its shops for a semester. It is important that our students under- Spanish 13-16 stand the range of learning paths that are available to them as high school students. Further, we have ex- panded our dual enrollment to more juniors and seniors. We have five times as many students enrolled in at least one college credit bearing course than we did at the same time last year. We plan on growing these opportunities for our students and are grateful to the institutions that have supported this work- HCC, UMASS, Westfield State and STCC. Edition Highlights: As part of the second phase of our secondary redesign efforts, we are engaging stakeholders in identifying, ● Vision, Values, Priorities piloting and building sustainable secondary school models to challenge current practice and transform the high school experience, resulting in complementary, competitive and 21st Century learning pathways. ● College acceptances Innovation and Design teams have been launched which includes parents, teachers, students, community and merit aid members and school leaders. This work is supported by a $300,000 grant from the Barr Foundation to explore (not replicate) ideas from high schools visited across and the country. This winter, ● Enrichment Offerings these teams will present proposals to the community that have the potential of transforming the high ● Puerto Rican Discovery school experience for our youth. Day

● Of significant interest in the community is the future of school buildings across Holyoke. With the sup- Skills USA port of the Massachusetts School Building Authority, we engaged in a comprehensive facility study that ● Exploring Careers offered multiple options and strategies for introducing new buildings into our portfolio of schools. We are in the process of hosting community meetings where we are asking the following questions to our constit- ● Western Districts uents-  As you think about improving school facilities for our students what matters most to you?  What proposed strategy best supports the district’s vision of creating an individualized pathway for every student? Before decisions are made to proceed, we are interested in getting input and feedback from families, staff and students. The documents associated with the study and our community presentations can be found on our website- http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us. Dr. Zrike’s message is continued on page 3.

Receive updates on district news, view videos and photos! Like us www.Facebook.com/HolyokePublicSchoolsLike us www.Facebook.com/HolyokePublicSchools Follow us https://twitter.com/HPSHOLYOKEFollow us https://twitter.com/HPSHOLYOKE

Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us

Page 2 Connections

VISION HPS Values Encourage bold thinking

Our students will: Explore all possibilities for student success graduate with an additional Embrace all students and families as our own credential that provides for Empower school teams to impact change college and career options; think Engage in meaningful feedback critically and communicate with purpose; value themselves, value others and value being part of the District Priorities Holyoke  High Quality Teaching and Learning community; and lead with Growth  Personalized Pathways Mindset and Self Management.  Engaged students, families and community  An effective and thriving workforce We are Holyoke families’ 1st choice for  Supporting empowered schools their children’s education.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Holyoke School Committee

Mayor Dennis Birks Erin Brunelle John Brunelle William Collamore Irene Feliciano-Sims Connections Newsletter Mildred Lefebvre Edited by: Judy Taylor [email protected] Devin Sheehan John Whelihan Translated by: Doris-Ortiz Nieves Rosalee Tensley Williams “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” ~Pablo Picasso

Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us

Page 3

Students Accepted to College—

236 Acceptances and $1,049,000 awarded in merit aid

On November 17th and 18th Holyoke High School hosted a Massachusetts College Acceptance Celebration at HHS in collaboration with Gear Up. Over the course of the two day event we had 236 college acceptances (some students were accepted to multiple institutions). Our students were awarded $1,049,500 in merit aid issued for the students’ freshman year. If the students were to see the scholarship through to completion, (4 years), then the total value of all the merit scholarships earned is $4,198,000. Special thanks to Anna Rigali and Carmelo Solivan (Gear Up) for planning this great event. Read more high school news on pages 10 and 11.

Redesigned experience for new teachers

It has been an exciting fall! This is the first year that novice teachers are participating in the redesigned New Teacher Induction and Mentoring program at HPS. New Teacher Induction Coaches, Christie Elman, Kentisha Fosberg and Jeff Hamilton, have been working since the summer to support first year teachers and their success in the classroom. Our two week Summer Induction Institute offered new teachers the opportunity to gain skills in classroom management, rigorous questioning techniques, student and family relationship building and instructional planning. When school opened in the fall, teachers were assigned their own coach to observe their classrooms and provide feedback on a weekly basis. The coaches offer personalized mentoring to teachers around the practices introduced in the summer and the results so far show great promise! New teachers indicate feeling supported and thus confident in their ability to run more effective classrooms. The weekly observation and feed- back cycles will continue throughout their first year and are supplemented with four professional development opportunities specifically designed for the cohort. Teachers in year two and year three will continue to receive group mentoring and professional development with additional sup- port as needed. We expect that this new initiative will result in greater achievement for students and better retention of highly skilled teachers for the district.

(Dr. Zrike’s letter, continued from page 1). While we are pleased by the improved results on the state assessment, we are more encouraged by the positive feedback from our students. As a school system we remain committed to realizing our vision of developing a pathway for every stu- dent. Each student entering our schools (regardless of the grade) should be on a dynamic and individualized path that provides them with a competi- tive advantage resulting in career and/or college success. We look forward to continuing this important work on behalf of the young people in the Holyoke Public Schools!

Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us

Page 4 ConnectionsConnections

Partnering with the Boys and Girls Club

By Sami Kodak

Lawrence Full Service Community School has been fortunate to partner with Holyoke Boys and Girls Club to provide enrichment for the first, second and third grade students. On Thurs- days, the students travel to the Boys and Girls Club for a 90 minute block of enrichment clubs that include sports, technology, swimming, dance, Legos, and movement.. Each student in first through third grade at Lawrence FSCS will participate in each club throughout the year. All the students can not wait to attend Enrichment each Thursday, and you can feel their joy as they parade down to the Boys and Girls Club as an entire grade. Students enjoy the activities in their clubs but also are making strong connections with the staff, many of whom are members of the neighborhoods in which the students live.

Enrichment is providing these students with more than a fun activity in their week, it is giving them access to ideas and knowledge they may have otherwise missed out on. Beyond the fun of enrichment, students are connecting with role models from their community outside of their school and family life. Lawrence students are not only enjoying enrichment, it is helping them discover new interests, talents and build their self-esteem as they learn new skills in each enrichment club.

Puerto Rico Discovery Day Event

by Catherine Hourihan

It was a wonderful evening for families, students and staff to come together and celebrate the rich culture of Puerto Rico. The school cafeteria was transformed into a tropical paradise. Students in kindergarten through third grade participated in cultural dances and wore traditional attire. Student created art work was displayed on the walls and tables. Some students also completed project boards displaying the natural resources and history of Puerto Rico. The evening ended with two of our own Vejigante dancers and a special presentation of traditional Puerto Rican dances from a local dance troupe. Fue una noche encantada. (Special thanks to the third grade team and the “specials team” for organizing this event).

November’s Rally by Catherine Hourihan

November’s rally was hosted by the first grade team. Students shared with everyone the work they have been doing in writing. They reviewed tran- sitional words they have been using in their writing. Several students shared stories they had written. They also focused on the core value of Kind- ness. Students watched a wordless video on “coloring our world with kindness”. The first grade has challenged the whole school to participate in paying kindness forward for the month of December. The challenge poster will hang prominently in the school’s atrium to remind all of us how im- portant kindness is in our lives.

Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us

Page 5 Connections Page 5

First Grade Window Graphics By Mr. Skowera

The First grade students from Morgan Full Service Community School are excited to share their window graphics. The First grade teachers, Mrs. Drohan, Ms. Morin, and the ELD teacher Mr. Skowera, have collab- orated and designed a way to reinforce the character traits they have been studying. The students began learning about physical and personality traits encoun- tered with characters in the stories they have read. The design shows the character from The Lone- ly Scarecrow on the outside, with his physical traits labeled, and when the folded paper is opened, the personality traits are labeled inside. The Window Graphic design reinforces that physical traits are found on the outside and the personality traits come from the Grade 1 students with Mr. Skowera— inside. This was a fun activity for all. displaying their finished window.

Students Participate in Enrichment

The 2016-2017 school year is off and running at Kelly School. As part of their longer school day, students at Kelly School are participating in en- richment with outside community partners. Stu- dents in grades K-2 meet with Next Level Adven- tures for 4 hours a week. During this time, stu- dents participate in team building and survival skill activities. Students in grades 3-5 spend 4 hours a week at the YMCA. While there, they particpate in a rotation of activities that include swimming lessons, hip hop dance, STEM and first aid, to name a few. Students in grades 6-8 spend 3 hours each Wednesday at the Holyoke Boys and Girls Club. Some of the activities offered to the middle school students include El Camino men- toring, swimming, fitness, coding and movement.

Celebrating the Puerto Rican Heritage

On Tuesday November 22nd Kelly School celebrated the discovery of Puerto Rico. The student per- formances took the audience on a learning journey that depicted the different cultural influences that have shaped the Puerto Rican culture. The performance included art, music, and dance influences. Students with their teachers created all the costumes, props, and dances. The event also featured Puerto Rican food prepared by teachers. The event was attended by over 250 students, families and staff.

Articles submitted by Jacqueline Glasheen

Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us

Page 6 ConnectionsConnections

Students from the 8th grade advisory group #Squad recently worked with their new kindergarten reading buddies.

A visit from El Sol Latino’s Manuel Frau Ramos any given day may have to sit for part or all of the practice to complete homework. It is our hope that partnering these boys with a male men- By Andrea Enright tor whom they all know and respect will help them to maintain a focus on school and school citizenship. Manuel Frau Ramos, the co-founder and editor of the bilingual newspa- per, El Sol Latino spent some time with third graders at Sullivan School. Celebrating culture and history Students participated in an interactive read aloud that taught students to use meta-cognitive skills to alter their thinking as they progressed By Duver Gomez throughout the story. Mr. Frau Ramos led group discussions to help students comprehend the surprise twist at the end of the story. Stu- Recently Mrs. Danek and Mrs Ve- dents were then engaged in a writing activity in which they identified ga’s El groups enjoyed a breakfast and applied creative writing techniques that authors used in the read with their parents. They participat- aloud to their own writing. Students worked in cooperative groups to ed in a cultural activity and learned co-write their own story with surprising elements. At the end of Mr. a little bit more about the city they Frau Ramos' visit, he reminded students of the importance of reading live in. The families played a ques- and writing. The students look forward to reading about this event in tion and answer matching game an upcoming edition of the El Sol Latino newspaper. where they had to answer various

questions about the culture and Basketball as an intervention history of both Holyoke and Puerto

Rico. Sullivan School is piloting a socio-emotional and academic intervention with some 7th and 8th grade boys. These boys are meeting daily with parent, Miguel 'Papo' Vazquez, who is coaching them for the next five weeks in place of their enrichment class. To participate, each of these boys must have completed their class homework and demonstrated good behavior on their daily class report card. Those who fall short on

Rise students, their parents and teachers share a Thanksgiving feast in the Atrium.

Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us

Page 7

Building Relationships

Smith College visit—Recently, our First Grade classrooms visited the Smith College Museum of Art. This trip tied in with Grade 1 writing standards as stu- dents recalled their trip and wrote about their experience. Students were also fortunate enough to visit the Fall Mum Show at The Botanic Garden of Smith College, Our students enjoyed the day and they are looking forward to return- ing to strengthen their connections to the community. School-wide Advisories - Every day from 3-3:25 PM, students gather together in small groups with their “advisor” to develop positive relationships with one another. This is accomplished through activities designed to help students to get to know each other better and build a sense of community. The advisors strive to develop ways to support their advisee both in and out of the classroom. Below are pictures from Erika Hanson’s Advisor. They show her advisory group creating rock pets that they will give, along with a special note, to people at Donahue school that need cheering up. They created a schedule of activities and projects at the beginning of the year that they could work on to support positive attitudes, behaviors, self-advocacy, interpersonal skills, decision making, problem solving, com- munity pride and involvement.

Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us

Page 8 ConnectionsConnections

E.N. White

Students at E.N. White School have been busy! Recently, the Second Grade team host- ed a Rice Party as a culminating activity to the Building Community Unit. After reading Everybody Cooks Rice, we asked families to contribute a rice dish from their own culture. Our goal was to have students and their families sample different rice dishes from the various cultures represented in the second grade classrooms. Here’s a sneak peak at some other learning experiences.

Spooky Science

Students in grades 2-5 enjoyed an evening of spooky science in late October from the Mad Science crew (right). Bubbling potions and spooky effects were conjured up as students Students in the E.N. White Dual Language PreK class- learned the science room celebrate Puerto Rico Discovery Day in song behind these effects. and dance throughout the school. This was followed by a meal of traditional foods with families.

Enchanted Circle Theater began its year-long residency at Metcalf School with an 8-week Arts Inspired Enrichment unit in the second grade classrooms. Teaching Artists Liz Woolsey and Axel Cruz are working with students studying the life and contributions of Cuban singer, Celia Cruz, also known as the “Queen of Salsa,” and her friend and extraordinary drummer, Tito Puente, the "Mambo King."

Each week, students are engaged in dynamic arts integration activities that allow them to ex- plore reading and writing through drama, music, dance and visual arts. After reading the books, My Name is/Me Llamo Celia and Tito Puente, Mambo King/Rey del Mambo, both by author Monica Brown, students have been salsa dancing, making drums, singing, painting to music, de- signing costumes, giving biographical interviews, and creating timelines.

Arts inspired education allows students to develop self-confidence, cooperative learning skills, creative expression, and public speaking skills. Mayor Alex Morse joined in the fun in early October to paint and dance with the students.

Discover Puerto Rico Night

Metcalf School held it's annual Discover Puerto Rico Night at Holyoke High School on November 10th. Students and staff put on a wonderful show and enjoyed food with family and friends when they were finished. To see the whole show click on the Vimeo link at the top of the Holyoke Public Schools website. www.hps.holyoke.ma.us

Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us

Page 9

Career Day at McMahon School

Third grade students recently hosted a career day at McMahon School Parents visited both third grade classrooms and shared their perspective job experiences with students. They described what they do on a daily basis and how their jobs help the Holyoke commu- nity. Students asked questions and parents provided details about what preparation is need- ed to enter their professions.

Jenise Rivera is a Correctional Officer. Her twins Ethan & Nathan Rivera are in both grade 3 classrooms

Robin Ortiz, a small business owner, and her daughter Mia. Mia Ortiz and her Uncle Jef- frey King.a.

Firefighters Martinez, Carter, and Bagley

Eli Cestero and his dad, Mr. Cestero who installs flooring.

(Right), Suzanne V. King is Director of Family and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation is seated with her sister, a para professional in Mrs. Giroux's classroom. Shaka means wave in Hawaii. Suzanne King came all the way from Hawaii to speak to us.

Like the other HPS elementary schools, Peck’s school day has been extended to 7.5 hours to allow for more time for enrichment opportunities and teacher collaboration. Peck is providing enrichment opportunities for all of our students, that includes partnering with Next Level Adventures, Holyoke Grows and Girls on the Run. Some of the offerings available to students include yoga and mindfulness, pottery, ceramics, cartooning, and many other offerings.

The Personalized Pathway Program (P3) was launched this fall at Peck School. The program involves 100 students from across the district in gra- des 6 and 7. P3 clearly puts students in charge of their learning as they work on exciting projects with the support of mentors and their peers. Every student in the P3 program will has an individual mentor and a portion of every day is spent working with students on their own personal goals for their futures and how their goals apply to their present academic process. The goal of the program is to develop students who are self- directed, independent, able to make decisions, resourceful, able to have resilience, and work on their own.

Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us

Page 10 ConnectionsConnections

Articles Submitted by Maggie Gifford

William J. Dean Technical High School has had an incredible 2016/2017 school year!

Dean Tech was recently featured on Channel 40’s Honor Roll Live. Students interested in being featured on Honor Roll Live had the opportunity to participate in an overnight shut in at Dean. This was to insure that as the 5:00 AM news team arrived, our students would be bright eyed and ready to go. Over 100 students and staff spent the night in the gym playing basketball, games, watching movies and indulging in pizza at midnight. The culinary arts team prepared breakfast the following morning. Our students articulated their areas of trade as well as the other opportunities offered at Dean Tech like the intramural sports teams. The footage and interviews were amazing!

Recently, two senior students, Adeline Skuse and Danellys Rodriguez traveled with Ms. Gifford to Worcester Technical High School to participate in the Girls in Trades student council. Adie and Danny proved to be terrific representatives of Dean and will serve on this student council for the year. They will work with fellow students this year to design and create a project that will be featured at the Boston Trade show in April. Way to Go Girls!

(Above), eight students and two advisors traveled to the Skills USA Leadership Conference in Marlborough, MA. The students participated in lead- ership activities and learned to collaborate with students from Career and Technical high schools from across the state. Congratulations Dean Tech Skills USA! We are so proud of you!

Culinary Stepping Up Dean Tech’s culinary arts department is always ready to step up and be the face of Dean. The students and their instructors are called upon to pro- vide refreshments and service often. They have been busy making and serving soup for the Holyoke Soup nights held once a month at the Water- front. They serve up soup with a smile, but for many of the students the cost of buying a full culinary uniform can be a challenge. On November 9th, Nuestras Raices partnered with Dean Tech to have a Taco Night fundraiser for student uniforms. The participation and results were overwhelming. $2,500 was raised in one even- ing.

The students will now have the opportunity to wear the uniform of their industry with pride as they move forward on their path in the hospitality industry. Watch out for our students at MGM in a few years!!

The culinary students also prepared Thanksgiving meal items to be served to folks from the Springfield Rescue Mission.

Culinary students attend workshop at HCC

The collaboration with Holyoke Community College is part of the Pathways Partnership Grant that we have been working on with HCC, specifically with Culinary Arts, Health Assisting, and Manufac- turing.

Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us

Page 11

Students use their talents to make memories HHS seniors Angela Downey and Jehovanie Almeyda, students in Ms. Henshaw’s Portfolio Development classroom, completed a portrait for orphans in Columbia this semester as part of the Memory Project, “a nonprofit organization that invites art teachers and their students to create portraits for youth around the world who have faced substantial challenges, such as neglect, abuse, loss of parents, and extreme poverty.” In the fall, Mrs. Henshaw received a photo of the orphans which were used by Angela and Jehovanie to create the portraits (right) that will be delivered to the children in Colunbia. The Memory Project will soon send a video of children receiving their portraits. Students are looking forward to viewing the video of this exciting moment. Mrs. Henshaw has participated in the Memory Project for six years and the HHS student photos have always been well received. Congratulations to Angela and Jehovanie on a job well done!

Congratulations to the students who were invited to Western District Auditions at Westfield State University on November 5th: BAND:Trumpet—Tyler Guertin*; CHORUS: Sopranos—Emma Lollar* and Amaris Ramos; Altos—Audriana Cruz, and Taina Reyes*, Tenors—Juan Garcia, Darian Gonzalez , Dylan Lasante , Connor Norton, Tim Soto; Bass—Josh Garcia*, Drew Gorecki , Anthony Guzman*, Jo- seph Lebron *,, and Zachary Martins. * Received All-State Recommendation

SAVE THE DATES: - The 18th annual musical—Sister Act—will be staged at HHS March 23rd—March 26th Athletics continued on page 11.

Facebook.com/holyokehighknights

twitter.com/Holyoke_high

Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us

Page 12 ConnectionsConnections

Athletics by Melanie Martin

Celebrating our athletes son, Johan Cruz and Carlos Torres. Cheerleading – Under the direction of a new coach, our cheerleaders have At this time, I would like to take a few mo- worked hard this season to perfect their ments to acknowledge all of our fall athletic routines and bring the spirit of Holyoke teams. Both Golf and Field Hockey won their to all our Football games! leagues and Boys X-Country won the PVIAC Championships! We were also awarded two Football - had a challenging year, as Sportsmanship Awards by the Officials. Con- young team, with two schools merging gratulations to all of our student athletes. You athletic programs and a new coaching have represented city of Holyoke with class. staff. This team came together as a family, We are proud of you!. worked hard all season and proved they can be successful, even when things don’t go as planned. The Team was awarded Girls X-Country – Under the direction of a the Western Mass Football Officials new coach our team is beginning to grow and Sportsmanship Award. had many individual successes this season.

Coach Rodriguez is hoping to build the team and help our athletes become successful. Spring Unified Track Team

Boys Soccer – Played a very competitive The PVIAC is creating a Unified Track League schedule finishing with a 2-9-7 record. The and we are adding a Unified Track Team for team was awarded the Bruno Rumpal Sports- Holyoke Public Schools for the Spring 2017 manship Award from the Soccer Officials. Bra- season. Holyoke Public Schools will develop yan Tavera De Los Rios and Jack Stevenson and programs to become a Special Olympics Unified Jacoby Authier were All-League All-Stars. Champion School. Girls Volleyball- had a good season, finishing 10-9-0. They qualified for the MIAA Playoffs. Unified Sports is a partner- Kiara DeJesus made the 2nd Team for the Vol- ship between individual leyball Hall of Fame/Spaulding All Star Team. schools, and the Special Kiara DeJesus, Jasmine Rodriguez and Janitza Olympics. Three sports are Santiago were named as an All-League All Stars. offered; Track and Field (Spring), Basketball (Fall), and Golf – Won their league again this year with 15 Bocce -2 record. The Team placed 3rd in Western (TBD). The Unified Program Mass and 11th in the State Championships. This is growing by leaps and is the 1st time the golf team has qualified for bounds throughout the Com- States since 1985. Devan Kane, Billy Drohan, monwealth, and we be- Jack Munroe and Jack Nieves were named All- lieve Holyoke is ready for League All Stars. teams. We will have a Unified Track and Field Girls Soccer –finished this year with a record team this spring, and possibly a basketball team breaks down the of 6-11-3. They played hard and promoted next fall. The Unified Track team is designed to walls of social sportsmanship throughout the season. They provide a competitive sports program for stu- exclusion ena- played in Western Mass quarter-finals. All- dents with and without intellectual disabilities. bling all participants to gain a new appreciation League All-stars were: Amber Lempke, Callie for one another, dispel fear, misperceptions and Cavanaugh and Cristina Rojas. The Special Olympics Unified Champion School low expectations, develop friendships and pave program is a comprehensive model of the Uni- the way for broader social inclusion in the com- Field Hockey – Won their League with a 17-2 fied Schools strategy that combines Unified munity. record and played in the Western Mass quarter Sports, Inclusive Youth Leadership and Whole -finals. Sarah Healy made the Best of 60 All-Star School Engagement to create the greatest im- Team. Sarah Healy, Bella Courshane, Katie pact. The activities and opportunities provided Intramural offerings Keane, Kassidy Lawrence and Siobhan Brennan through the program help to reduce bullying were named All-League All-Stars. Katie Keane We had great Fall Season for our Middle School and exclusion, promote healthy activity and Intramurals. McMahon was the Volleyball has a career total of 87 points. interactions, combat stereotypes and stigma, Champion and Sullivan was the Basketball Boys X-Country –The Boys Cross Country eliminate hurtful language in schools and engage Champion. Every team played hard and did a team had another successful year with their people in social activities that lead to personal great job this season. Congratulations to all our 10th straight winning season and captured Ho- growth. teams. We will offer Soccer Intramurals in the lyoke's first Championship title. Spring. The team placed 12th in the State Meet. Cam- By bringing together people with and without

eron made the 1st Team All-State with his 12th intellectual disabilities, as teammates and com- place individual finish. All-League All-Stars in- petitors, on the field of clude Cameron Correia, Izaien Lugo, Pat Morri- play, Unified Sports Student athlete photos: courtesy of Sweet Dog Photos David Henry

Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us

HOLYOKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Donahue Artist: UN CAMINO DE APRENDIZAJE PARA CADA ESTUDIANTE Volume 15 Issue 1 Casandra Dominguez Artista G. Beaudry, HHS Una Carta Abierta a la Comunidad de la Escuela Holyoke

¡Noticias emocionantes en nuestras escuelas!

Por Dr. Stephen Zrike, Receptor de las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke

Estimadas Familias, Socios, y Colegas,

El comienzo del año escolar 2016-17 ha traído un gran cambio emocionante para los estudiantes y el personal en las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke. Nuestras escuelas primarias han trabajado duro para implementar un día más largo y completo para nuestros estudiantes que in- cluya más tiempo de enriquecimiento y académico para los niños y una planificación adicional y tiempo de aprendizaje profesional para el personal. El bloque de enriquecimiento a través de nuestras escuelas es una oportunidad para que los estudiantes exploren sus intereses y desarrollen sus habilidades emocionales sociales. Algunas escuelas están ofreciendo oportunidades tales como diseño de videojuegos, dibujos animados, anuario, yoga, costura, español y banda. Otras escuelas, se asocian con organizaciones locales para ofrecer actividades como na- tación, teatro, aventura al aire libre y danza hip-hop. Estas ofertas han sido posibles a través de una planificación y programación innovadoras por parte del personal de nuestras escuelas. No es de extrañar, muchos estudiantes citan el enriquecimiento como el punto culminante de su semana escolar!

En el nivel de escuela secundaria, hemos lanzado nuestra academia de estudiantes de primer año en la Escuela Secundaria Holyoke High, una experiencia más estimulante y centrada en los estudiantes. Como parte de la academia, los estudiantes de 9º grado tienen la opción de asistir a la Escuela Secundaria Dean Technical para explorar sus talleres por un semestre. Es importante que nuestros estudiantes compren- dan la variedad de caminos de aprendizaje que están disponibles para ellos como estudiantes de secundaria. Además, hemos ampliado nues- tra inscripción doble a más estudiantes de último año y mayores. Tenemos cinco veces más estudiantes matriculados en por lo menos un curso universitario de crédito que lo hicimos al mismo tiempo el año pasado. Planeamos desarrollar estas oportunidades para nuestros estu- diantes y agradecemos a las instituciones que han apoyado este trabajo: HCC, UMASS, Westfield State y STCC.

Como parte de la segunda fase de nuestros esfuerzos de rediseño secundario, estamos involucrando a las partes interesadas en identificar, pilotar y construir modelos de escuelas secundarias sostenibles para desafiar la práctica actual y transformar la experiencia de la escuela secundaria, resultando en caminos de aprendizaje, complementarios, competitivos y caminos de aprendizaje - 21st Century. Se han creado equipos de innovación y diseño que incluyen a padres, maestros, estudiantes, miembros de la comunidad y líderes escolares. Este trabajo es apoyado por una donación de $ 300,000 de la Fundación Barr para explorar (no replicar) ideas de escuelas secundarias visitadas en Massa- chusetts y el país. Este invierno, estos equipos presentarán propuestas a la comunidad que tienen el potencial de transformar la experiencia de la escuela secundaria para nuestra juventud.

El interés significativo en la comunidad es el futuro de los edificios escolares en Holyoke. Con el apoyo de la Autoridad de Construcción de las Escuelas de Massachusetts, nos comprometimos en un estudio de instalaciones completas que ofrece múltiples opciones y estrategias para la introducción de nuevos edificios en nuestra cartera de escuelas. Estamos en el proceso de organizar reuniones comunitarias donde hacemos las siguientes preguntas a nuestros electores: · Mientras piensas en mejorar las instalaciones escolares para nuestros estudiantes, ¿qué es lo que más te importa? · ¿Qué estrategia propuesta apoya mejor la visión del distrito de crear una vía individualizada para cada estudiante? Antes de tomar decisiones, estamos interesados en recibir comentarios de las familias, el personal y los estudiantes. Los documentos rela- cionados con el estudio y las presentaciones de nuestra comunidad se pueden encontrar en nuestro sitio web: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us. La carta del Dr. Zrike a la comunidad continuación en la página 15.

Visite www.Facebook.com/HolyokePublicSchools y dale “me gusta” para recibir noticias, videos y fotos actualizadas del distrito.

Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us

Page 14 ConnectionsConnections

ACTUALIZACION DE RECLUTAMIENTO Estamos en marcha con el año escolar 2016-2017! Todavía hay oportunidades de empleo con las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke. Tenemos vacantes para maestros, ayudantes de maestros y per- sonal de apoyo. Visite nuestro sitio web del distrito y aplique hoy!

AHORRA LAS FECHAS El décimo octavo musical anual—Sister Act— se llevará a cabo en la Escuela Superior Holyoke High 23 de marzo- 26 de marzo

Nuestros valores en HPS incluyen:

 Estimular el pensamiento audaz

 Explorar todas las posibilidades para el éxito estudiantil

 Aceptar a todos los estudiantes y familias come si fueran nuestra propia familia

 Capacitar a los equipos escolares para impactar el cambio

 Participar en diálogos significativos

Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke- un camino al éxito para cada estudiante

Nuestros estudiantes van a: graduarse con una credencial adicional que les propor- cione opciones universitarias y de carrera; tener éxito a través de múltiples opciones educativas; pensar críticamente y comunicarse con propósito; valorarse a sí mismos, valorar a los demás y valorar ser parte de la comunidad de Holyoke; y conducirse con una mentalidad de crecimiento y autogestión.

Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us

Page 15

Estudiantes Aceptados a la Universidad— 236 aceptaciones y $1,049,000 otorgados en ayuda de mérito

El 17 y 18 de Noviembre la escuela secundaria de Holyoke organizó una Celebración de Aceptación de las universidades de Mas- sachusetts en HHS en colaboración con Gear Up. Durante el evento de dos días tuvimos 236 aceptaciones universitarias (algunos estudiantes fueron aceptados en varias instituciones). A nuestros estudiantes se les otorgó $ 1,049,500 en ayuda por mérito otor- gada para el primer año de los estudiantes. Si los estudiantes iban a ver la beca hasta el final, (4 años), entonces el valor total de todas las becas de mérito ganadas es de $ 4,198,000. Un agradecimiento especial a Anna Rigali y Carmelo Solivan (Gear Up) por planear este gran evento.

Dean culinary students attend HHC workshop La colaboración con el Colegio Comunitario de Holyoke forma parte de la Beca de la Asociación de Caminos con la que hemos estado trabajando con HCC, específicamente con Artes Culinarias, Asistencia de Salud y Manufactura.

Celebrando la diversidad

En noviembre, nuestras escuelas celebraron la diversidad, las familias, la cultura, las tradiciones y sus contribuciones a nues- tras escuelas mediante la celebración de eventos con actu- aciones estudiantiles, cenas puertorriqueñas completas, música tradicional y exposiciones para familias.

La carta del Dr. Zrike continuación de la página 13. A pesar de que estamos satisfechos por los mejores resultados en la evaluación del estado, nos sentimos más alentados por la retroalimentación positiva de nuestros estudiantes. Como sistema escolar, seguimos comprometidos a realizar nuestra visión de desarrollar un camino para cada estudiante. Cada estudiante que entre en nuestras escuelas (independientemente de la calificación) debe estar en un camino dinámico e individualizado que les proporcione una ventaja competitiva que resulte en éxito en la carrera y / o en la univer- sidad. ¡Esperamos continuar este importante trabajo en nombre de los jóvenes en las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke!

Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us

Page 16 ConnectionsConnections

Like and Follow us Today! Receive district news updates, view videos and photos. Facebook.com/HolyokePublicSchools twitter.com/HPSHOLYOKE

01040 MA Holyoke,

Street Beech 500

Taylor Judy c/o

Center Media

Schools Public Holyoke

Holyoke Public Schools—Visit us on the web at: http://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us